Apple and Bacon Fritters
(or as Lee liked to call them "Critters")

As soon as I saw this recipe on the internet, I knew I had to make it. It seems a little weird and not your typical combination but it has bacon in it so it has to be good :) This recipe took me about half a day to make due to the yeast and allowing it to ferment and get nice a gooey. I didn't quite make the glaze as described below, but I didn't keep notes on how I made it so I'll leave the original recipe. (Mine was about a cup of powdered sugar, mixed with a couple table spoons of water, couple table spoons of maple syrup, and a dash of vanilla mixed until the right consistency. If I needed to thin it I used maple syrup)

The fritters had more of an apple flavor than a bacon flavor. The bacon definitely took a backseat as a flavor, but every couple of bites you would get a piece of bacon and be reminded that it was in there. These fritters lasted about 24 hrs. Between Lee, Aaron, Jim and I we ate a decent amount :) We did have a few that stuck around for a couple of days, and they didn't' have the same great taste that they did when they were freshly cooked. They got really oily, so maybe I didn't allow them to drain long enough.

Apple Bacon Fritters with Maple Bourbon Glaze

http://www.evilshenanigans.com/
Posted By Kelly On September 11, 2009

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Apple Bacon Fritters Yield 1 dozen

4 ounces water, heated to 110F

1/4 ounce dry active yeast

3/4 ounce vegetable shortening

1 ounce sugar

1/8 ounce salt

1/8 teaspoon mace or nutmeg

1/2 ounce non-fat dry milk

1 egg

8 1/2 ounces bread flour

1 cup diced tart apple

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and chopped

Vegetable oil for frying

Maple Bourbon Glaze Enough to glaze 12 fritters or doughnuts
1/4 teaspoon gelatin

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons bourbon

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pound powdered sugar

In the bowl of a mixer combine the yeast and the water. Allow to sit for ten minutes.

While the yeast activates mix the apples, bacon, sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In the same bowl mix the shortening, sugar, salt, mace or nutmeg, dry milk, egg, and bread flour. Mix with the dough hook on low speed for three minutes. Check the hydration of the dough by touching it – if it is sticky but does not stick it is ready. Mix on medium speed for six minutes.

Add the apples mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed for three minutes, until the apples and bacon are well combined.

Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to ferment for two hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Once the dough has fermented turn out onto a well floured board and with the palm of your hand press out the dough into a large rectangle. Cut the dough into the desired shapes, I find squares work well for me, and cover with plastic for thirty minutes.
While the fritters proof heat at least three inches of oil in a deep pot, allowing for two inches of space at the top of the pan to prevent overflow, to 375 F.

Once proofed, fry the fritters in the hot oil for one minute per side. Once fried drain on paper towels while you fry the remaining fritters.
Let the fritters cool slightly while you prepare the glaze.

In a small bowl mix the gelatin with the water. Allow to bloom for ten minutes. Once bloomed heat in the microwave for 10 seconds until it is melted.

In a large bowl mix the gelatin with the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.

Dip the warm fritters into the glaze and turn to coat. Let the excess drip off before transferring to a rack to dry.

Enjoy warm, or at room temperature.

Tailgating for UT game

We have some friends that tailgate for every UT game, and we thought it would be a great experience for Lee and Aaron. We took a cab down there because parking is a nightmare and it was safer since we were all drinking.

It was freakin packed every where around the campus. There were people tailgating at every possible open space. It was a lot of fun

Trying to find out where the guys were parked. Since every body is running around in UT colors, it is hard to find people :)

Megan and Nick

Jim, Aaron and Lee. For the most part we stuck together but Lee and Aaron did a walk about and found a bar to hang out in. I don't blame them, it was quite hot outside and I would have wanted to find AC also.

Aaron had a pair of BluBlocker sunglasses....

I'm not sure I would recommend BluBlockers for anybody under the age of 60

I found this little guy wearing a UT outfit. So damn cute,,, can't remember his name, so we'll call him Nacho

Lee and Aaron

Charlie, Jim and Mike

The boys brought a little mini-keg to the tailgate. Here they are doing some type reverse keg stand

Once the game started, we headed over to a Mexican food place to watch the game. It was close and I didn't think it would be that crowded (and I was right). It was a perfect place to enjoy some food and watch the game. While we were eating, Aaron made friends with the table next to us, so they did a shot together.

At half time, Jim and I decided that our old asses were ready to head home and watch the rest of the game from our couch. The boys decided to head downtown and do a little more partying. Once I sent Lee a text message with our home address (to give to the taxi) they found a pedi cab for the ride downtown.

Lee and Aaron didn't stay out long... maybe an hour or so before they headed back to the house. Sitting out in the heat and the drinking finally caught up to them too. Here is Lee giving Taylor and Chewie some lovin. I'm pretty sure that the guys stayed up and played even more RBI baseball and Techmo football on the old school Nintendo.

Lee's First 24 hrs


My lil' bro came into town a couple of weekends ago with his friend Aaron. We had a great time during the visit and had times where we did a lot and other times where our butts were planted in front of the TV (which happens a lot during football season). And they had the added bonus of playing the old school Nintendo game, RBI baseball. I still have the theme song embedded into my brain. Ding-Ding-Da-Ding-Ding...Da-Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding-Da...... Be happy that you can't hear it, cause it will be singing it all day.

The boys playing RBI baseball

On their 2nd night in Austin, we were looking for something with an Austin flair and didn't require us to get dressed up. The boys suggested BBQ, and we thought of Rudy's. Rudys hasn't let us down yet and Lee and Aaron seemed to really liked their food. As Newbies, they were able to try a couple cuts of meat as well as a couple of the hot sides.


During their first full day we headed down to South Congress to check out some shops, get a little lunch and perhaps do a little day drinking. I took this shot as we were crossing the street

After shopping, where each of the boys bought something, we stopped in at Docs Motorworks to enjoy an adult beverage and play some shuffleboard.

Modeling Jim's new glasses... and channeling my inner Jersey bitch

Aaron, Jim, me and Lee

Jim and I were a team and beat Lee and Aaron 2 out of 3 games! Ya that's right, the old folks kicked the young folks ASS! :)

We headed down to Juan in a Million for breakfast/lunch. They are a good little local joint on the East side. For the most part the food was really good, but we have been there when it was better. Maybe it was an off day for them. Lee and Aaron seemed to like their food.

Lee, Aaron and Jim

Mom- that is your son's beer!! :) I was the good daughter and only had water

Jim and Lee- at Blind Eye Pig

Jim, me and Lee doing our best fierce look... well.... Jim and I have it down, and Lee needs to work on it a bit

Roar!

Lee and Aaron... at a fairly crappy bar on 6th street. We walked in, looked around and realized we weren't in the type of bar that we normally enjoy, had a drink, then walked back out

Lee, me and Jim

6th Street

Enjoying an adult beverage

The picture doesn't show it, but guess what? I WON! :o) (aka, I finished first)

Aaron and his HUGE sandwich. This "burrito" had a couple of hot dogs, chili, queso, salsa and BACON. Why on earth did this thing need bacon? Aaron said it was pretty good.

Me and my bro

The boys waiting for their food at the Jackalope

The Beavers

Jim's softball name is the Beavers. Real adult, right? For those of you that don't know.... a beaver is another name for a.... ummmm... a girl part... otherwise known as a Va-Jay-Jay. :o) So when we sit in the stands and yell "Go Beavers" it can tend to make some of the guys around us giggle. Now that they have been playing softball for about 4 to 5 years (holy shit, time flies!!!), I figured it would be a good time to get shirts made for the girls! We sit in the stands and cheer every week, and we wanted to have something that we can wear to show our support for the guys. I used the same company that I used to make the Dirty Bones shirts, customink.com. They are really helpful and have a very easy process to order shirts. Luckily they had a few different beaver pictures to choose from, AND they even had a beaver swinging a bat... PERFECT!!

We debuted our shirts at a softball game a couple of weeks ago. The boys had no idea what we were up to, but we all showed up in our shirts to cheer on the guys! They were really surprised and happy that we made up shirts!!

The shirt design

Vanessa holding Jackson... he was still sleepy from the ride over to the ball fields

Kyndal posing in her Beavers shirt


Champ, John and Tammy's dog, didn't get a shirt, but he had his own little shirt that said "Champ"

Jenn, Vanessa, Ashley and Jackson... heading to the fields to show off our new shirts

Lindsay and Kyndal goofing around in the stands

Vanessa, Jackson and Jenn

Jackson is such a happy baby.... he is perfectly fine to sit by himself to to be held by a bunch of girls

Since this is a post about the guys softball game, I had to post at least one picture of the game... here is Jim getting ready to bat

The ladies and our shirts

Lindsay, Tammy, Me, Vanessa, Jennifer, Cheryl, Carmen, Ashley and Kyndal in front

The backs of our shirts! We put our last names on the back

After the games are over, we all tend to hang out at the park

Ashley, Jackson and Nick

Jackson was a total mess... Ashley gave him some type of cookie treat for him to gnaw on. But he ended up getting it all over his face and clothing. Everybody gave him space so we didn't get the mushed up cookie on us

John and Champ

By far, the most disturbing photo of the year.... Let me explain before you think you are looking at something real. While Jason and Ashley lived in Australia, he bought a bottle opener that had a pair of kangaroo balls as the base. Gross, right? They are even furry. Yuck. Anywho... Jason saw me coming with the camera and slyly put the bottle opener up his pants, to appear like his junk was hanging out. GROSS, but very funny.